Page 63 of Letting it Ride

I sigh as I close my apartment door and lean my back against it. It’s only 8:30, but it feels like midnight after the day we’ve had, shuttling between the airport, my apartment, Cam’s apartment, and back to the airport with the extra keys.

I know Annika wanted to come over for gossip tonight. I’m torn, because I have so much to tell her, and I need her opinion on this whole Cam thing. And in person, not over text messaging. But I’m ready to drop into bed without even brushing my teeth.

I send Annika a text to see what she’s doing and if we can move our girl talk to tomorrow night, rubbing a tired hand over my eyes.

Annika

Just got home, kind of fried but so much to tell you. Gossip tomorrow or do you want to come over here?

If you were 22, you’d barely be pregaming at this point. Stop being such an old lady. I’m coming over. You want pizza?

And breadsticks, please.

Annika arrives at my apartment twenty minutes later with a pizza, breadsticks, and a six pack of hard cider. I twist the cap off one of the bottles, thinking of Cam and the first time he’s ever dodged a question I asked. What reason for not drinking could be so terrible he doesn’t want to tell me?

Annika shoves the pizza box at me. “Okay, girl. Talk. I want to hear everything.”

I laugh as I follow her into the kitchen. “Pizza first. I haven’t eaten since we got off the plane. It took way too long to get back home from the airport. Long story.”

Annika pulls the top off of her bottle of cider and takes a long sip. “Start at the beginning. You showed up on the cruise ship. And?”

I walk the few steps from the kitchen to the living room and sink onto the couch with my cider in onehand and a slice of pizza in the other. “Well, first, Maddox didnotwarn him I was coming. He was completely caught off guard that I was there. And on top of that, we had to share a room.”

“The bunk beds,” she says, nodding. “I remember. Any college-style antics in the room?”

I shake my head as I swallow my bite of pizza. “No, nothing like that. He actually seemed like he was avoiding me for the first day or so. Then we had a big fight after the bikini thing. But he was, like… calm during it. He just let me get everything off my chest.”

She raises her eyebrows. “He didn’t get mad?”

“No. He let me rant, then after I shut myself in the bathroom to change, he apologized. And asked if we could be friends.”

“Uh-huh. And how did beingfriendswork out for you?”

I lean back on the sofa after finishing my slice and wipe my hands on my shorts. “Well, you know some of it. I told you about the ATVs and how I had to get stitches and all of that.”

Annika puts her pizza on her lap. “Oh, shit! I forgot about that. How are you?”

“I’m fine. It doesn’t really hurt anymore. But it was kind of a pain to have stitches. Besides the fact that wemissed getting back on the ship and got stuck in the Bahamas, I had to keep it dry so I couldn’t go in the pool.”

My cheeks heat, thinking of Cam tenderly washing my hair. Maybe Annika doesn’t need to knoweverything.

She gives me a pointed look. “So what else? More details, please.”

I shrug, trying to keep my face neutral. I usually tell Annika everything. But some of the details and the things Cam and I shared seem too special. I want to keep them just between Cam and me.

“Okay, fine, keep your secrets. But you did it, right? Please tell me you banged.”

Annika is on my left, so I have to reach across myself to smack her with my good hand, almost spilling my half-full bottle of cider in the process. “We’re not living in a frat house, Anni. We did notbang.We had sex like two consenting adults.” I smile. “And it was fucking amazing.”

Annika brushes pizza crumbs off her hands and goes to the kitchen, returning with another slice. “So, now what? Are you together? Or was this just a vacation thing?”

I tug on my hair. “I… I want it to be more. And I think he does, too. But we’re going to keep it quiet for alittle. I mean, he’s my brother’s best friend. I’m not sure Maddox is going to take it well.”

“Makes sense. When are you going to see him again?”

Annika and I talk until neither of us can keep our eyes open. She crashes in her usual spot on the couch, and I flop into bed.

I consider taking a shower before bed, but I realize that my hairbrush, hair dryer, and most of my products are on a ship somewhere. Hopefully they’ll be making their way back to me once Cam gets his new phone and gets in touch with them, but that doesn’t help me right now.

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